


And Scene!

by LadyFogg



Series: The Reader Professor Series [8]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Acting, Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, F/M, Hurt, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Theatre, scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 19:43:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3949267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFogg/pseuds/LadyFogg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rehearsals are in full swing and you and Ryan are frustrated with the lack of fire and intensity between your male and female lead. So you both get up on stage to show them how it’s done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Scene!

**Author's Note:**

> The scene is from 27 Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams

It feels good to be in the theatre again.

Rehearsals have been underway for some time, and you love being away from the classroom. You feel that theatre needs to be taught on stage. It just didn’t feel right teaching it in a classroom.

You sit in one of the middle rows, your bag in the seat on your left and your script and notepad balanced on your knees. Ryan is in the seat on your right, brow furrowed and fingers absentmindedly tracing his bottom lip as he watches the actors on stage.

Making him Assistant Director was the smartest thing you could have ever done. Not only did he know his stuff, but it was no longer weird or strange for you two to be seen together outside of the classroom. In fact, you frequently had dinner at the bar near your apartment where you would go over the notes from rehearsal the previous day and ideas you both had for the show. After the moment together when he had his glasses, you had avoided doing anything on campus. No one had known about the incident of course, but now that you’re in the middle of a production, you don’t want to risk it. You get a lot more visitors to your office than you used to.

You feel Ryan shift in his seat as he leans over towards you. “This isn’t working,” he whispers.

You have to admit, you barely were paying attention to the scene. You are busy scribbling notes on your pad around the sketch of the set you two had drawn up the night before. You draw a line through one of the notes before you turn to look at him. “Hmm, what’s that?” you ask.

He looks a little tired, but you also can feel the frustration coming off of him in waves. “I said, ‘this isn’t working’,” he repeats, a slight edge to his voice. The actors, oblivious to your conversation, are still playing out the scene.

“What’s not working about it?” you inquire, turning your attention back to the stage. The blocking still needs a little work, especially since you now know roughly where the porch set is going to be, but the actors are barely looking at their scripts and that’s a plus in your book.

Ryan runs a hand through his hair as he scratches his scalp. “I’m just not feeling anything between them,” he says. “I mean, Michael’s stance is a little awkward and he needs to tone down the anger a bit, and Mica needs to lean more into him when he get’s closer. I mean, Flora is scared, but she also kind of likes it.”

You give him an affectionate smile. “Ryan, they still don’t really know each other,” you remind him. “It takes some actors longer to be comfortable being so close. I’m sure as we keep doing the scene they’ll get better.”

“Yeah, but we don’t really have time for them to be uncomfortable,” he says. You had been on the same scene for over an hour already and had run through it several times.

You sigh and put your pen down. “If it really bothers you, then say something,” you tell him.

While he’s a natural in the role of director, it’s been a strange transition for him to go from classmate to authority figure. The first few rehearsals you had taken his notes and delivered them to the actors yourself, but you’ve been pushing him to be more proactive and he’s been doing well. The actors respect him and aside from occasional good natured teasing, they take his word just as seriously as they take yours. One of the major changes between your dynamic is that in rehearsals, you allow him to call you by your first name. You felt it would show the cast you two were equals.

He gives you a look of uncertainty, but you urge him on with an encouraging smile.

He takes a deep breath before sitting up, resting his arm on the back of the seat in front of him. “Michael, Mica, stop for a second please.” His voice is loud but firm.

The actors drop off mid-line and turn to face you and Ryan.

Your partner gets up from his chair. “I think you guys need to push yourselves a little further with the scene,” he says, moving into the aisle so he can walk down towards the stage. “The way you were doing it before was just fine when we were doing read throughs, but now it’s time to start really getting into it.”

“Were we doing it wrong?” Michael asks.

Ryan shakes his head. “No, not really,” he answers. “You just weren’t going _far_ enough. This can be a really powerful scene if done a certain way and I’m just not feeling anything from the both of you.”

“What do you want us to do?” Mica asks. “Like, is there a certain _way_ we should be doing the lines?”

“Start from when Flora tells Jake she just came out of the house and saw him drive up,” Ryan says. He drops into a seat in the middle of the front row. “And really try to feel their emotions. Flora is angry and confused. Jake is mad and he’s manipulative, but he also just burnt down a mill. He’s probably a little scared. Work with that. And drop the scripts. You’re hardly using them anymore anyways. They’re a crutch.”

Michael and Mica nod and each toss their books off to the side. They take a moment to prepare themselves before they start again.

“You said, Okay, right after supper we’ll drive over over to th’ White Star drugstore an’ lay in a good supply. When I come out of th’ house--” Mica says.

Michael moves in close, wrapping both hands around her throat and cutting her off. “Look here!” he snaps angrily. “Listen to what I tell you!”

“Jake!” Mica exclaims in surprise, terror evident on her face.

Michael moves in closer. “Shhhh! Just listen, baby,” he orders forcefully.

“Lemme go! G’damn you, le’ go my throat!” Mica orders, her hands moving up to grab his arms.

They go for awhile and now that you’re not distracted, you watch the scene unfold. Ryan is also watching intently. You adjust yourself so you can see his face. His eyebrows are drawn together and he’s studying the actors intently. Without the scripts it’s definitely easier for the two to move around and interact with each other. They are trying to take note of what Ryan had suggested, but you can see he’s looking frustrated again.

After a few moments he leans forward again. “Stop please,” he says, rubbing his face with his hand.

Mica and Michael stop the scene, this time with a sigh.

“What was wrong now?” Michael asks.

“Michael, you got the rage down perfectly,” Ryan says. “But you have to pull it back a little. Remember, she is your wife. You love her, but you also need her. You’re not just scaring her, you’re manipulating her. And Mica, you gotta let him.”

Michael looks annoyed and you can tell he is trying to work out what Ryan is asking of him. “I guess I don’t really get what you mean,” he admits.

“Use your body more, get in close, change your voice,” Ryan says. “You’re too static right now. You need to be more dynamic.”

Mica glances at Michael and can see he’s getting flustered so she gives Ryan an amused smile. “You come up a do it then,” she says teasingly, trying to break the tension that’s starting to build.

You snort with laughter and Ryan shoots you a raised eyebrow over his shoulder before turning back to his friends. He shrugs and gets up out of his seat. “I accept the challenge,” he says.

By now the other cast members have arrived for their calls and are watching the scene with interest. As Ryan gets up on stage, they settle in their seats to watch. You lean back in your seat with amusement, curious to see how this plays out.

“Take a hike, Jones,” Ryan smirks at his friend.

The other young man now looks amused and he raises his hands in mock surrender. He takes a few steps back to watch. Mica gives Ryan a challenging smirk before they both take a deep breath and get into character. They start from Mica’s line again.

You watch Ryan’s face and it’s almost scary how he suddenly switches. His neutral face is now scowling and his jaw is clenched. He straightens his back and puffs out of his chest. The whole air around him changes. You can see Mica react with a body language change of her own and she moves in closer as she talks. When Mica finishes her line, Ryan’s quick to jump in. He reaches out to wrap his large hands around her neck and he tugs her forward.

“Look here,” he says in a low, dangerous tone. “Listen to what I tell you!”

“Jake...” Mica is more scared than surprised sounding this time. She’s eyeing Ryan warily.

Ryan takes a step even closer. “Shhhh, shhhh, just listen, baby,” he practically purrs as he draws his face towards hers.  

“Lemme go! G’damn you, le’ go my throat!” Mica tells him. She doesn’t move to grab his arms like she did with Michael. Instead she puts her hands against his chest and tries to push him away.

“Jus try an’ concentrate on what I tell yuh,” Ryan says, features softening as if he’s telling her a sweet secret.

“T-Tell me what?”

“I ain’t been off th’ front porch. Not since supper.” His face suddenly hardens again and he clenches his teeth. “Understand that now?”

You notice what he mentioned before. Mica’s instinct is to jerk away, but even though Flora is scared of Jake, part of her is actually thrilled by the roughness. It’s not something she’s doing on purpose. It’s just her body’s natural response to the aggression.

“Jake, honey, you’ve gone out of you mind!” she tells him, trying to step away again.

You watch them for a bit longer. Ryan is practically pressed against Mica, but you think they could be even closer. It wouldn’t bother you if they were of course. You’re an adult and tend not to waste your energy on petty emotions like jealousy. Especially since you remember all too clearly just whose bed Ryan was spread eagle on this morning and just whose mouth was making him whimper and moan…

Ryan gives a dark chuckle. “Maybe so,” he says, dropping one hand from her throat and trailing it down her shoulder and arm. “Never you mind. Just get that straight an’ keep it in your head. I ain’t been off the porch of this house since supper.”

“But you sure as God _was_ off it,” Mica says timidly, almost as if she’s afraid to say anything.

You frown and sit forward in your chair. That’s not how you would have played the line. You would have gone a little more forceful yourself. You see Flora as scared, yes, but you also see her as having a defiant fire inside her.

Ryan keeps going with the scene and grabs Mica’s wrist with his free hand. She immediately reacts.

“Ow! Stop it! Stop it, stop it!” she exclaims, trying to break free.

Ryan blinks and you see that he’s broken character. “Okay, Mica,” he says, taking a step back. “When you struggle, it can’t be frantic. Remember what comes later in the scene? Flora actually kind of likes Jake being rough. You have to remember to be into it.”

“Words I never thought I’d hear you say,” Mica says with a laugh.

You chuckle as well. “He’s right,” you agree, making them turn to look at you. “Yeah she’s scared and confused, but she likes Jake taking control and you have to move your body towards him, not away.” You put your script and notepad on the floor by your feet.

“And, Michael,” Ryan says, stepping further away from Mica so Michael can take his place. “Did you see what I was talking about? Change your tone. Jake’s clearly not all there so it’s okay to jump from one emotion to another.”

“Alright, okay, I think I got it,” Michael says, moving into position. He looks more determined than before, finally understanding what Ryan was talking about.

“Good, take it back to the throat grabbing part,” Ryan orders. He moves to stand where Michael had been watching from a moment before.

You get up from your seat to move closer to the stage. Mica and Michael start the scene again. Michael tones down the rage and Mica speaks a little more forcefully. It’s leagues better than it had been when they started but there’s still just something off that you can’t put your finger on. You catch Ryan’s eye and you see him shake his head. He feels the same way you do.

“Stop,” he says firmly.

This time Michael and Mica groan loudly. “What now?” Mica asks.

Ryan opens his mouth, but then closes it as the words escape him. He paces for a moment before saying, “It’s difficult to explain.”

You stare off to the side, thinking of a way to put into words what exactly is missing from the scene. “He’s seducing her into saying what he needs her to say. She’s providing an alibi for him and he needs to make it seem like she was wrong and he’s been there the whole time,” you put in. “Does that help?”

Mica and Michael look confused even though they are nodding. They step towards each other like they are going to start the scene again, but then each stop as they try to wrap their heads around the note you gave them.

Ryan says your name and you up look at him. “Let’s show them how it’s done, shall we?” he asks, a hint of a smirk on his face.

Everyone turns their attention on you then and you hesitate for a second. This isn’t a good idea at all. It’s a terrible one. Being so close to Ryan in front of everyone is a dangerous game. But it’s hard explain to Mica and Michael how you and Ryan want the scene to go. You’ll have to show them.

Ryan takes note of your hesitation and his smirk widens. “Unless you can’t handle it, Professor,” he goads and you glare. Everyone gives a loud ‘ohhhh’ and Mica and Michael look between you two, amused.

“You going to let him talk to you like that, Professor?” Mica asks.

“Dude, she is going to wreck you,” Michael tells Ryan.

_He has no idea._

You sigh heavily before muttering a swear under your breath. How are you supposed to back down from such a challenge? Especially in front of everyone? “You’re on, Haywood,” you say. You climb up onto the stage and everyone claps enthusiastically. Mica and Michael hop off the stage and move to take seats. You eye Ryan with an arched eyebrow and get into the proper spot. You had studied the play for so long, you know everyone’s lines by heart. Ryan does as well.

He gives you a questioningly nod to see if you’re ready and you nod back. His hands immediately reach out to seize your neck and he practically yanks you forward. You don’t resist. Instead you follow through with the motion, pressing your body against his.

“Look here,” he says, his voice low. There’s a hint of danger, but he’s talking to you like he does when you’re alone together. When you’re tangled in bed and he’s about to do something naughty. “Listen to what I tell you.”

“Jake?” you ask, surprised but with a hint of uncertainty.

Ryan leans forward. “Shhhh, shhhh, shhhh, just listen, baby,” he mumbles against your lips.

You pull away, your hands coming up to grab his wrists. “Lemme go! G’damn you, le’ go my throat!” you snap. You’re upper body is struggling, but your lower body is still flush against his.

“Shhhh, shhhh, jus try an’ concentrate on what I tell yuh,” Ryan says in a sticky sweet voice. He reaches up to stroke your cheek, his thumb dragging down your bottom lip tantalizingly.

“Tell me what?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him. You can’t help but turn your face into his touch.

“I ain’t been off th’ front porch. Not since supper,” he assures you. His face hardens like it did the last time. “Understand that now?”

“Jake, honey, you’ve gone out of your mind,” you say with a small breathless laugh, almost as if you think he’s joking.

Ryan chuckles back. “Maybe so,” he says, pushing your hair away from your face before letting his hand drop and his fingertips graze your arm. The action immediately sends chills down your spine. “Never you mind. Just get that straight an’ keep it in your head. I ain’t been off the porch of this house since supper.”

“But you sure as God was off it,” you say forcefully and with a glare. Ryan grabs your wrist tightly.

“Ow! Stop it,” you say through clenched teeth. You try to wriggle your wrist out of his hand, but his knee runs up your inner thigh as he pulls you close. “Stop it! Stop it!”

“Where have I been since supper?” Ryan purrs. The hand around your neck drops and he presses it against your lower back. Your back is arched but everything from your neck down is flush against Ryan’s body and it’s almost unbearable for you. In the most pleasant way of course. He tightens his hand around your wrist.

“Here, here! On th’ porch!” you snap, turning your face away. He nuzzles your cheek. “Fo’ God’s sake, quit that twistin’!”

“Where have I been?” Ryan demands. He tightens his hold again and you bite back a whimper.

“Porch! Porch!” you say. “Here.”

“Doin’ what?” He mumbles against the spot just below your ear. His hold on your wrist is almost painful. Almost.

“Jake,” you say, but it’s more of a moan than you mean for it to be. It took all your brain power not to say ‘Ryan’.

“ _Doin’ what?_ ” he demands.

“Lemme go! Christ, Jake! Let loose!” you say, wriggling against him as if you’re trying to get free. You hear his breath catch in his throat as your pelvis rubs against the front of his jeans. But he does not break character. “Quit twisting! You’ll break my wrist!”

Ryan gives a deep laugh and the sound shoots straight between your legs. Your body shudders involuntarily. “Doin’ what? What doin’? Since supper?”

“How the hell do I know!” you spit through clenched teeth.

“‘Cause you was right here with me, all the time, for every second,” he starts to sway and you move with him, side to side. His hand is still fastened around your wrist, but the one on your back draws lazy patterns. “You an’ me, sweetheart, was sittin’ here together on th’ swingin’, just swingin’ back an’ forth every minute since supper.” His voice suddenly loses the gentleness and grows sharp as he practically growls, “You got that in your head good now?”

You nod furiously. “Yeh, yeh, yeh,” you agree. “Leggo!”

“What was I doin’, then?” Ryan asks, his lips brushing along your jaw.

“Swingin'!” you practically sob. “For Christ’s sake--swingin’!"

When Ryan releases your wrist, you whimper. Loudly. He wasn’t clutching you very hard, and you’re not in pain. But then again, it’s not really pain that’s making you hot and bothered. Ryan’s hand suddenly slides into your hair at the base of your neck and he crushes his mouth against yours in a hungry kiss. You whimper again and kiss him back, hands moving to clutch the front of his shirt.

Someone coughs.

You and Ryan immediately freeze for a second, as realization dawns on you that you are still on stage in front of _everyone_. You jerk away from each other, breaking all points of contact.

Every single person in the theatre is gaping at you two. Not just the cast this time, but the crew has stopped what they were doing and just stand rooted in their spots. Lindsay is off to the side, clutching her clipboard tightly in front of her face as she peeks over it. Mica sits wide-eyed in the front, both hands over her mouth almost as if she’s stopping herself from saying something or making a noise. Michael’s arms are crossed and he looks way too smug for your liking and he better put his eyebrow down before you smack him.

You shoot Ryan a glance and the tips of his ears are bright red. He clears his throat. “Sooo,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Something like that.”

You clear your throat. “Yeah, that,” you agree, immediately turning to move off the stage. “Do that. Now.”

You and Ryan move to separate sides of the stage, trying desperately not to make eye contact.


End file.
